I thought “Sunny California” was supposed to be sunny all the time! Recently, we have been getting some showers in the area and my kiddos have been going stir-crazy. About 90% of their time is spent outdoors everyday. Which is great until its too cold and rainy to go outside! I’ve been having to think outside of the box to keep them entertained without sticking them in front of the T.V. all day long. I mean, let’s face it, most people like to just cuddle up on the couch and watch their favorite shows or movies when it’s raining out. While I’ll admit it’s a good excuse [I’ve done it a time or two 🙂], it’s just not healthy for our little ones to be glued to the screen all day. So here are a few of the things I have done that have kept them busy, and most important of all, HAPPY!
SENSORY PLAY
Photos property of Dogtags, Dolls & Dinosaurs
Kinetic sand is the favorite at the moment in our house! It is so amazing. I could play with it all day long! It’s also great because it doesn’t make a huge mess! I like to hide little toy animals in it sometimes and the kids love looking for them. Great use of those fine motor skills too! If you have been reading along with my mommy posts, you might catch on that I’m all for activities that aid in my children’s development too. It’s great practice & it’s fun! I found ours at target but I found it a couple bucks cheaper on Amazon! They also have the purple sand here that’s a bit more expensive. They are basically the same just have slightly different textures and consistencies. Keeps my littles busy for awhile! And you can try anything similar. Play-doh, slime, silly putty, etc. We even have some homemade “sensory bins” that you can fill with just about anything- beans, cotton balls, water, rice, you name it!
TAKE A BATH
Photos property of Dogtags, Dolls & Dinosaurs
I have never met a little kid who did not like to take a bath! It helps to pass the time and it’s super fun for them to enjoy! Add some bubbles, color tablets, bath crayons or paint, basic bath toys and baby dolls! I literally get all of this stuff on Amazon! It’s great and gets here in just two days! Let them practice washing their dolls bodies. Let them paint their bodies! Or add some water beads in there! So, so fun!!
MAKE A FORT
Photos property of Dogtags, Dolls & Dinosaurs
We had such a blast doing this the other day. Me and daddy even joined in on the fun! I used to build forts all the time with I was a kid and it was a joy watching my kiddos enjoy it so much. We kept it up all day long and they loved it. We just happened to have purchased new car seats for the kids and had a couple of big boxes in our garage, so I made full use out of them! Grab a few blankets, couch cushions, pillows, anything is up for grabs! You could even use the mattresses on the kids’ beds. I wish I would have thought of that! Would have been perfect!
HAVE A PICNIC
Photo property of Dogtags, Dolls, & Dinosaurs
Who said picnics are solely for the outdoors and pretty parks and beaches? We had quite the little tea party right in the comfort of our home. Make snack time or lunch time fun by laying an old blanket out and serving those scrumptious PB & J’s on your living room floor. Or pretend, like we did, and take advantage of that play kitchen your kids don’t seem to play with so much. It provides y’all some unforgettable bonding time!!
DANCE PARTY
Photos property of Dogtags, Dolls & Dinosaurs
This is probably my favorite! Growing up my dad would always play some 90’s country and me and my sisters would jam out for hours. Now I watch my kiddos dance around and it brings back beautiful memories. We try to do this on a nightly basis, but it’s also perfect for a rainy day when you’re stuck inside. Turn on your favorite music and share it with your babies! They’re getting some sensory input, using some gross motor skills and creating memories with you! Crank up that Disney song and rock out!
These are just a few of my favorite things to do with my kids. There are tons of creative indoor activities you can find out there. I love these specifically because they allow you to bond and create sweet memories with your littles. Rainy days give me such a lazy mindset, but just because there’s water falling from the sky doesn’t give my kiddos any less energy! Keep all of your days fun and engaging, your kids will remember it someday! 🙂
I still turn the music up and jam like the good ole days and I’m flooded with so many memories 😘
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I will always remember that!!
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Love this sweet friend!!
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Thank you!! 🙂
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These are cute and fun play ideas! My kids and my 2 year old loves the kinetic sand. I just hate the cleanup because it never seems to stay in the container. Lol
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Yeah my daughter just started to throw it everywhere! Haha. I have a little blanket tarp I lay down on the floor that makes clean up easier!
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Wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your blog! SO many great ideas! I nominated you for the 2018 Liebster award: https://dearestheartorg.wordpress.com/2018/03/02/the-liebster-award-2018-discovering-new-blogs/
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Oh wow! I’m so honored thank you so much! 🙂
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I love all these ideas. My kids favorite things to do on a rainy day is tape cardboard boxes together to make robots and aliens.
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Oh how fun!! Love that!
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So many fun activities, we do puzzles, color, read books, board games, hide and seek lol, and music too.
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Awesome!!!
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So many fun activities, we do puzzles, color, read books, board games, hide and seek lol, and music too.
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That’s awesome!!
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These are such neat ideas! This is great post 🙂
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Thank you Brittany! 🙂
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So fun Brittany! Love all your ideas. And my kids do too! We are huge play doh fans in this house but then have never played with kinetic sand! Now I’m excited to get some for them to experience! We also love to jam out! ❤️
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Jam seshs are now a daily occurrence haha
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These pictures are so cute
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